Date: 27.12.2017.

Newest data*, published on 15th of December, by European Union Statistics bureau Eurostat about proportion of business turnover online in 2016, where more detailed analysis has been performed by digital marketing agency iMarketings.lv, shows that Latvian e-commerce development indicator** is 9%. Statistics also show that online sales are more developed in our neighbor countries – in Lithuania this indicator is 13% and in Estonia – 16%.

Lithuania's law-enforcement have completed the pre-trial investigation into the 1.5-million-euro auction organized by the Ignalina nuclear power plant (NPP) in 2014. Abuse suspicions were brought against six individuals, including Ignalina's current CEO Darius Janulevicius, former CEO Osvaldas Ciuksys and former former head of the commercial division, Lauras Puslys, reports LETA/BNS.

UP Invest, subsidiary of MM Grupp owned by Estonian businessman Margus Linnamae that operates the Baltic news agency and media monitoring group BNS and 15min.lt news portal, has applied for a sanction to control Apollo Cinemas, the Estonian company that runs a chain of cafes, book stores and movie theaters, informs LETA/BNS.

During the first 11 months of the outgoing 2017 year, shipping of container cargos by rail in Latvia grew 15.63% year-on-year to 11,835 containers, representatives of LDz Logistika, a subsidiary of Latvijas Dzelzcels (Latvian Railways) national rail company, told LETA.

EU economy’s future: slow but positive growthGrowth in all EU states will continue in 2019-20, though at a slower pace than before. The largest EU’s economies will grow at around 1,5-1,7%, mostly in Poland, Spain and Holland. The Baltic States’ growth will continue to be on the positive trend.